Jake Diekman couldn’t hold a three-run lead in the ninth.
The lefty came in to close for the Red Sox and gave up back-to-back doubles to start the inning, then a game-tying two-run home run to George Springer with two outs.
Matt Strahm inherited the bases loaded when he relieved Matt Barnes in the 10th. The lefty allowed a walkoff RBI sacrifice fly to Raimel Tapia.
The Blue Jays won 6-5 over Boston at Rogers Centre.
The Red Sox failed to score the extra-inning ghost runner (Trevor Story) in the top of the 10th. Alex Verdugo’s groundout advanced Story to third base with one out.
But Xander Bogaerts lined out to the pitcher and J.D. Martinez struck out swinging.
Red Sox rally in the eighth
The double left Trevor Story’s bat at 111.8 mph and traveled on a line 414 feet off the center field wall. Story flipped the bat.
His rocket tied the game in the eighth. The Red Sox scored four runs on five hits in the eighth inning to turn a one-run deficit into a three-run lead.
Story’s double wasn’t the hardest hit ball during the eighth. Rafael Devers, pinch hitting for Christian Arroyo, led off with a single to right field that had a 112.3 mph exit velocity.
Christian Vázquez followed with a single the opposite way through the shift to put two runners on for Story whose double made it 2-2.
Alex Verdugo’s sac fly scored Vázquez, making it 3-2. Story scored on Xander Bogaerts’ RBI double to increase the lead to 4-2.
Kiké Hernández added an infield RBI single with two outs to make it 5-2.
Pivetta pitches 4 ⅔ innings
Nick Pivetta went 4 ⅔ innings innings, allowing two runs, three hits and four walks while striking out six.
He threw 52 four-seam fastballs, topping out at 96.6 mph and averaging 93.8 mph, per Baseball Savant. He mixed in 28 knuckle-curveballs and 18 sliders.
Other scoring
The Blue Jays went ahead 1-0 in the third inning when George Springer delivered an RBI single to left field.
Boston tied it 1-1 in the fourth inning on Kiké Hernández’s sacrifice fly to center field.
Toronto retook the lead 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth on Santiago Espinal’s RBI single to center field.
Wednesday’s game
The Red Sox and Blue Jays play again Thursday at 7:07 p.m.
Red Sox righty Michael Wacha (1-0, 1.88 ERA) will start opposite Blue Jays right-hander Ross Stripling (0-0, 4.50 ERA).
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